Sierra Leone; or, the White Man's Grave

Preface

. A T the present day, when the reading world has before ■*■** it the exciting histories and adventures, both true and mythical, of men who have travelled far and wide in the vast depths of the " Dark Continent," it seems pre tentious to hope that much attention will be given to the following pages. But the writer does not launch this book as one of travel over unknown ground, nor as one of dangerous adventures and hardships. He simply aims at bringing before his readers a description of an English man's life in the most interesting but deadly colony of Sierra Leone. The following pages first appeared in a series of private letters, and, having through death again fallen into the writer's hands, he presents them with humble apologies to his readers. For him, life on the West Coast possessed a peculiar attraction only eclipsed by an ardent longing to go further Preface. afield, and penetrate into the vast unknown regions of this still unexplored land.

He therefore trusts that this de scription in narrative form of that life, with its sunshine and shadow, its semi-civilization and occasional adven tures, may not only possess a certain amount of interest, but give his kind readers an insight into the condition of affairs in " The White Man's Grave " a century after it was first populated by a few Englishmen and a band of liberated slaves. G. A. L. BANBURY. Shanklin, I,W. CONTENTS. Chapter pagB I. The Voyage . . i II, Madeira and the Canaries . . . . 7 III. An Adventure at Sea . . . . . . 18 IV. Goree and the Gambia .. .. 27 V. Native Peculiarites, and a Tornado . 44 VI. Early History of the Settlement . . 56 VII. Sierra Leone under the Crown . . 67 VIII. Early Impressions . . . . . . 82 IX. An Unpleasant Encounter . . . . 98 X. A Fight with an Alligator .. .. 112 XL Alligators Still .. .. .. 122 XII.

Alligators and Waterloo . . . . 134 XIII. A General Description of Freetown 145 XIV. The Trade of the Colony . . . . 164 XV. Annexations and Customs .. .. 176 XVI. A Sad Case, and Native Oaths . . 191 XVII. An Unfortunate History . . . . 202 XVIII. A "Leopard" Adventure .. .. 216 XIX. A Lokkoh Palaver and Dance .. 231 XX. General Events . . . . . . . . 242 XXI. Expedition in Sherbro and Battle of Talliah .. .. .. . 256 XXII. A Ghost— Snakes — and Unpleasant Duties .. .. .. .: 275 XXIII. Homeward Bound . . . . . .

Chapter I. The Voyage

Why I went to Sierra Leone is neither here nor there : perhaps I took that step from that insatiable wish " to see the world " which so ardently possesses many Englishmen ; or per haps I was actuated by an ambitious desire of obtaining promotion in a service in which success is popularly supposed to come specially to those who depart from the beaten track in search of it. However, I found myself one morning leaving the handsome building in Whitehall, devoted to Indian, Foreign and Colonial Affairs, engaged to go to Sierra Leone as a Government official, having entered its doors but a short while previously as one of b those beings who are erroneously believed to play at Government work in dutiful unison with the fountains in Trafalgar Square. The remaining days before departure passed only too rapidly in making purchases for my future home, and in receiving hospitable atten tions which took the inevitable shape of farewell dinners kindly given by friends and brother officers, to speed the parting guest.

By some of them I was looked upon as a lucky dog ; by others — and I must admit a considerable majority — as taking a step not only hazardous but un necessarily foolish. This opinion was expressed in many different ways. One kind friend, more facetious than the rest, observed that, inasmuch as I was bound for such a deadly place, it would only be judicious to include a coffin in my equipment, since it might come in handy at an early date ; while, to add an uncomfortably realistic appearance to this considerately thoughtful forecast, innumerable mournful epitaphs, penned with the usual amount of lugu brious wit, were thrown in by way of cheerful accompaniment. A friend who had travelled in Africa advised me in selecting my outfit. It seemed to give THE VOYAGE. 3 him special delight to inspect the numerous con trivances supposed by outfitters to be essential to those travellers who are bound for out-of-the way places.

My friend's inquisitiveness, when overhauling these ingenious inventions, generally ended in a satisfied smile when the obsequious attendant, who had pulled all manner of instruments out of a cunningly-arranged basket in the delusive hope of having found a purchaser, became visibly embarrassed in finding consider able difficulty in replacing them. A varied collection of this kind of equipment may be seen at a well-known establishment in Cornhill. When we visited this store, my friend, in pursuit of his usual hobby, appeared to be particularly interested in a small hamper, ingeniously fitted so as to hold plates, tumblers, knives, forks, and spoons, a frying-pan, and camp-kettle, and many other things supposed to be invaluable to travellers. "Capitally arranged," said my friend. " Indeed it is, sir. And we have a great demand for them," replied the unsuspecting attendant, scenting a possible purchaser.

" Yes, I daresay you do sell a great number. This one appears to be very compact : but kindly B— allow me to see you replace all the articles ; for I should like to see how they fit." The attendant was fairly up to his work, and after one or two jambs, managed to complete the somewhat trying task. " Very good — and lined with green baize, I observe. But is this basket waterproof? " was the next inquisitorial demand. " Oh yes, sir, quite showerproof." " Waterproof, I said," drily interposed my friend. " Because, if not, I am afraid it is of little use. Apart from that, I can assure you a real campaigner would find all these things unnecessary. For a picnic up the Thames, or for a volunteer encampment, they are doubtless excellent ; but for actual work in the bush, or for the rough life of a sportsman, they are worse than useless."

However, we purchased other things, which compensated for our want of appreciation of these faddish but expensive articles. The railway journey to Liverpool, where it was of couse raining, and the incidental confusion unavoidable upon such a busy landing wharf as Prince's Stage, where porters, emigrants, wealthier passengers, and agonised friends THE VOYAGE. 5 jostle one another amidst a confusion of bags and boxes, in their frenzied exertions of arrival and departure, needs only passing mention. At last, with other passengers, I am safely trans ferred to the British and African steamer " Senegal," already blowing off volumes of steam, as a fretful complaint at being still secured to her river moorings. After taking possession of my cabin, and making friendly arrangements for our mutual comfort with the stranger who was to share it with me, I entered the saloon.

Among my fellow passengers I observed a negro, dressed in the height of fashion, still adhering to the silk hat of civilization, and loth to remove the yellow kids covering his ebon hands. He was accompanied on board by three pretty English girls, determined to see the last of him, who vied with each other in showing themselves solicitous for his future welfare. As a parting souvenir, one produced an elaborately worked smoking cap, which this sable Adonis, nothing abashed, immediately donned : the others presented him with a pair of slippers and an em broidered scarf. These gifts of his fair friends, delayed to the last moment, created considerable interest among such of the other passengers as were not themselves engaged in the sad duty of bidding good-bye to friends and relatives. But the luggage was now on board ; the last warning bell clanged forth ; a stentorian voice demanded if there were "Anymore for the shore?

" The final hand-clasps were exchanged, with their hearty meanings of love or friendship ; and the tug steamed back to the landing-stage with handkerchiefs waving a sad farewell, while the " Senegal," in charge of the pilot, dropped slowly down the Mersey — outward bound for " The White Man's Grave."

Chapter II. Madeira And The Canaries

The first few days at sea, and the trying ordeal most landsmen undergo, are best passed over in silence. On the seventh morning, after an uneventful passage through the dreaded Bay of Biscay, Madeira was sighted ; and the beauty of the island, as we rapidly approached it, created unspeakable delight, enhanced by the pleasur able anticipation of a run on shore. The sun had not long risen ; and as the morn ing clouds slowly ascended, ridge after ridge of picturesque country became exposed to our view. Dotted here and there on the hill-sides were numerous cintras (the name given to the houses on the hills), half hidden in dense foliage, now brightly shining in the morning sun, anon buried in a wafting cloud ; while the courses of many small mountain-torrents could be plainly traced, wending their foaming, impetuous way to the ocean.

The bold hills forming the back ground threw sombre shadows over the deep clefts separating the numerous lofty summits, and added to the grandeur of the charming tableau. We were to stay here six hours : so parties were soon made to ride up the steep and slippery streets to the monastery on the hill. From this we descended in small hand sleighs, at a rapid rate, deftly steered by guides, who with one foot on the sleigh, and using the other to steer with, brought us back to the town. This novel method of travelling, which has a most exhilarating effect, has been adopted owing to the style of paving probably unknown elsewhere. The streets are made by driving sharp flints into the surface with the points uppermost, and carefully laid above the ground level. Traffic over these stones has produced a highly slippery surface, extremely dangerous to pedestrians ; but they are laid sufficiently apart to enable horses to maintain a somewhat precarious foothold.

Their broken hoofs, how ever, show the serious damage they sustain from this peculiar kind of roadmaking. No Face p. 9 THE "CAB" OF MADEIRA. wheeled vehicles can be used in these slippery streets ; and, in consequence, the traffic is car ried on by means of sleighs with iron-bound runners. A most primitive and inexpensive plan of carting merchandise is used. It consists of a thick plank, clamped with iron, with a slight bedding on its upper edges, so as to raise the goods still further from the ground. These planks are drawn up and down the slippery streets by teams of oxen, which appear to understand the different orders shouted by the " oxeteers " in no measured terms, and fre quently emphasized by blows from their long sticks. When it is necessary to stop these planks in their descent, they are pulled sideways, and the driver jumps on behind.

To turn a sharp corner seems more difficult, since the plank slides a considerable distance in the wrong direction until the progress of the bullock takes it along the intended road. Oxen also do ser vice in a much more elaborate sleigh, heavily canopied, to protect the occupants from the sun. These are the " cabs " of Madeira. We visited the convent, where most beautifully constructed feather-flowers and Madeira lace, the work of the nuns, can be purchased. These were passed for our inspection through a double-barred grating, the money being pushed back in the same way to the ancient nun, who was thus carefully protected in her intercourse with the outer world. In the streets we were followed by a pestering crowd of beggars, suffering from most unsightly maladies, which they persistently thrust before us with clamorous appeals for alms.

But these wretches fade into insignificance in comparison with the diseases and deformities of others who haunt the doors of the numerous churches, and whose condition is so hopeless that they are unable to follow us in pursuit of their precarious calling. At the gaol windows, also, a mass of shock-headed human beings — to whom an out ward application of water must have been un known for many a day — fought for a front posi tion, in the hope of obtaining a copper, for which they begged in no less piteous terms than the lame, the halt, and the blind. We were also harassed by a crowd of youths, imploring us, whenever we stopped for a single instant, to take the change in English silver, and give them gold in exchange, "to make earrings," they will say ; but we soon learnt that they were employed by the numerous shopkeepers bent upon realising the heavy exchange the bank allows for gold coinage.

All the exhortations of our guide, whom we honoured by christening " Fergusson," were unavailing in keeping off this pestering horde ; and we gladly sought refuge in one of the excel lent hotels, to escape from their importunities. Here a capital luncheon was served, but its en joyment was marred by the sickly appearance of most of the visitors, whose abnormally bright eyes and hectic complexions told the piteous tale of the fatal lingering disease with which they were vainly striving to contend. Though a warm summer's day, the windows and doors were closed, and side by side sat invalids suffering from consumption in all its sad stages — from the slight cough of those still buoyed with hope of cure — alas ! never destined to be realised — to the dull, hollow, hacking sound emanating from others whose attenuated features and reduced figures showed but too surely that the sand glass of their lives had nearly run.

After leaving Madeira, our course lay southward for two days, through calm seas and under azure skies, when we sighted Teneriffe, the most important of the Canary Islands. The Peak, clothed in perennial snow, loomed grandly in the distance, surrounded by other lofty hills, above which it majestically towers. We shortly anchored in the excellent harbour ; and the town of Santa Cruz, with its shining white houses, lies smiling before us, while the cochineal planta tions may be plainly traced, running in picturesque terraces up the gentle ascending slopes. The culture of the cochineal, however, threatens soon to be an industry of the past, as chemical research has led to the discovery of cheaper means of producing the dye hitherto made from these little insects. It happened to be a fete day in the island ; so we landed in force, and attended the gardens, where a Spanish military band was playing.

The Spanish girls were in gala dress, but to our surprise they were mostly decked out in Parisian finery — the graceful mantilla, so be coming to them, being nowadays discarded for the modern hat, with its hybrid decorations of feathers and bows, and its fantastic vagaries in shape and substance. Teneriffe is not inundated with the swarm of visitors that annually crowd to Madeira in the winter months. Any invalids who prefer keep ing out of the beaten track, or wish to enjoy thorough rest, can find in Orotavo — a town situated on the opposite side of the Island to Santa Cruz — a charming place at which an enjoyable holiday can be spent at moderate cost. In Santa Cruz we visited the Cathedral, where the colours taken from Lord Nelson, when he made his gallant, but unsuccessful attempt to storm the island in 1797, are carefully preserved in a stout case.

These flags were, until recently, suspended from one of the cathedral aisles, unguarded by lock and key, until an English middy, carried away by his loyal feelings, successfully accomplished the bold feat of recap turing them. This act created much excitement at the time, but after considerable diplomatic correspondence with the Spanish Government the flags were restored, and the young officer, for his plucky act, received a severe official reprimand. There was a travelling company at the theatre, and as the " Senegal " could not leave before morning, we took a box. One of the pieces was the Spanish version of " Ici on parle Francais." This was followed by a ballet, in troducing the graceful Fandango. As English men, we loudly applauded this national dance, and demanded an encore, much to the gratifica tion of the audience.

As a mark of their appre ciation at our expressed satisfaction, the band, among other morceaux, contributed " God save the Queen," in our honour ; but it was played in such quick time that all the effects usu ally inspired by its martial strains were removed. Once previously, at a small French theatre where " Round the World in Eighty Days " was being performed, I had heard our glorious anthem rattled through at a similar pace. On that occasion the typical Englishmen of French men (with due deference to Max O'Rell) invariably turned up in a well-developed dice-board suit of dittos, leading an unhappy bulldog very gingerly by a string. Though acting in French, this individual interlarded his lines with innumerable " damns," to the manifest delight of the audience. This was raised to a still higher pitch when, by a little gag and by-play, he expostulated with the "damn'd boule-dag," whom he thus anathematised for a pretended unwillingness at being hauled off the boards.

Upon the completion of the tour, and conse quent winning of the wager, " God save the Queen " was played to the time of a rattling hand gallop, and its reproduction at Teneriffe in such quick time recalled this former experience to my memory. The house was by no means a full one, and the prices of admission were very modest. A young Spanish girl was pointed out as the local heiress, and her boundless fortune spoken of in such glowing terms that crude ideas began to creep over one of the party that she might per haps not be disinclined towards a son of the Emerald Isle. On inquiry, we ascertained that her dowry was equivalent to about twelve hundred pounds English, though it sounded quite a respectable sum in " reales," and our Irishman thought he had better, after all, stick to the " Houssa" constabulary.

Grand Canary was our next port of call. This island has a much more barren and rugged ap pearance than either Madeira or Teneriffe. Here, as at Teneriffe, innumerable vendors of cigars, canaries, and Florida water, board the ship and haggle over their wares. The prices rapidly declined as the hour of departure drew near, until at last passengers were im portuned to make purchases at less than half the prices demanded in the first instance. Strange to say, the principal article imported into these islands is soap, and yet a dirtier or more unkempt lot than the Spaniards inhabit ing them cannot be imagined, unless, in say ing so, I do an injustice to the Portuguese at Madeira. This was our last European port of call, and we were soon ploughing the wave, bound for that vast African continent which, despite all mis sionary attempts, is still steeped in heathenism and vice to its water's edge.

The rapidly in creasing heat inconveniently reminded us that we were well in the Torrid Zone. The ship was covered with awning from stem to stern ; but even this was insufficient pro tection from the sun ; and solar topees had to be worn while on deck. Fortunately, there were no lady passengers, so we were allowed to revel in the luxury of pyjamas throughout the day, and these cool and comfortable coverings, to gether with shirts and turned-down collars, and the thinnest of ties, were by general consent adopted as mess-dress. The part of the Atlantic through which the ship was passing is known to be one of the richest fishing-grounds in the world, and was for many years regularly visited by flotillas of fishing-smacks hailing from the Canaries. This industry has of late years been entirely neglected, owing to the extended field for trading opened up through the numerous steamers now calling at those islands for supplies. V C

Chapter III. An Adventure At Sea

The saloon of the " Senegal " occupied the whole of the space under the poop. The entrance to it on the main deck was by a narrow passage, in which the steward's pantry was also situated. One night, having dawdled longer than usual over our evening yarns and last pipe, we were interrupted by an extraordinary sound of rapidly approaching hoofs, and there was a general stampede for places of safety as a bullock rushed into the saloon, followed by a large Newfound land dog, who appeared to consider this treat had been planned for his particular amusement, as he irritated the flanks of the beast. The bullock seemed quite dazed by the novelty of his position, and the sudden change from the outer darkness to this inner chamber of light. After a slight pause, chased by the iS AN ADVENTURE A T SEA. 19 dog, he trotted to the end of the saloon, where one of the stewards whose duty it was to sleep in the saloon that night was lying on the settee extended across the stern of the vessel, worn out by the fatigues of the hot day.

The animal's wet nose, while trying to find a possible exit in this quarter, touched the steward's face, and partly aroused him from his slumbers ; for, after one or two ineffectual pushes with his hands, and the usual stretches and yawns given by an awakening sleeper, one hand came in contact with the bullock's moist face. " Oh, Holy Mother in heaven ! — oh, glory ! " What's the matter ? " he ejaculated, and, rubbing his half-opened eyes, he perceived, in horrified amazement, a pair of horns, the liquid eyes, and the outlines of the black visage of the bullock, which, to his slowly awakening imagination, doubtless assumed a terribly realistic shape. " Och ! where am I a'thall ? Is it meself that says (sees) it at last ? — or is it draiming that I am?" he continued, as vainly and with stricken fear he doubted his own eyesight, and endea voured to keep this horrible nightmare at arm's length.

With a blanched and pallid face that steward C— now stood upright, his hair standing on end, beads of perspiration on his brow, while with an expression of agonised terror he shouted, " Help ! help ! Alf — Mr. Jones ! — Come quick, some of yez ; shure it's meself '11 be gored ef somebody don't pall the baste away," — as now thoroughly awake he perceived the actual state of affairs, and then saw us passengers in the background convulsed with laughter. " Shure, its helpin' me, and not laughin', yez ought to be," expostulated the steward. " Take him by the head and turn him round," shouted thefat purser, personallyina safe position. "Arrah, sir! don't be foolin' me wid the baste's horns agin me ribs," answered McLouglin, and again continued spasmodi cally, as the animal made an attempt to push past him.

" Oh ! for the love of mercy, take howld of his tail before I'm kilt entirely — think of the childer without" : and then energetically, "Pull him off, I tell ye !— pull him off! — shure the dog's druv him mad, bad 'cess to him. Ah ! now, ye wouldn't all of yez stand by and see a poor bhoy ripped up like a shape (sheep) ; would yez, now ? " Upon this we seized hold of the bullock's tail AN AD VENTURE A T SEA. 21 as he had certainly become more demonstrative in the direction of the steward. After continued tuggings, we succeeded in making the brute turn round ; but as this brought him face to face with us, we all beat a rapid and ignominous retreat, some being satisfied by getting the table between them and the animal, while others, less bold, dived under it as a safer refuge from danger. Our fright had by now extended to the bullock, who again galloped down the saloon, only to stop in amazement opposite the large pier-glass over the buffet, at which he would have doubt less run but for his reflection, which must have appeared to the beast as another of his own species approaching.

"Oh, horr'd, it'll be the mirror he'll be afther breaking now," shouted the steward, getting over his fright at the prospect of this new disaster. Resolutely seizing hold of the animal's tail, he added, " Come on, all of yez, an' we'll pull him round agin, an' out of the dure back foremost." Accordingly we laid hold once more of the brute's tail. After repeated tuggings, which were ineffectual, McLoughlin, who had again become the leading man, gave the tail an artistic twist, and then a bite. This brought the bullock round with such celerity that much damage was done to the handsome maple panelling. As the space between the table and the side of the saloon was too narrow to permit of our following the tail, the brute was again face to face with us, at uncomfortably close quarters. This was too much for our valour, so sauve qui peut was the cry, as we once more ignominiously sought places of safety in anything but decorous order ; thus leaving the bullock master of the situation.

The animal at last became quite infuriated, and in his frantic endeavours to get round the saloon, he scrambled first on to the settee, and from that to the table, over which a handsome swinging tray, laden with its wealth of glass, extended the full length of the saloon. Catching his horns in this, the whole structure came down with a terrific crash, smashing the glass to atoms, bringing down the lamps with it, while the brute rolled off amidst the debris of broken glass and splinters of wood, a large piece of the swinging tray remaining suspended from one of his horns, as an irritating but highly ludicrous trophy. The uproar was now indescribable, and the wrecked appearance of the saloon gave unmis- AN AD VENTURE A T SEA. 23 takeable proof of the destructive capabilities of the proverbial bull in a china-shop.

Ultimately the creature charged straight for the door, scattering the few sailors who were clustered round, looking astonished at the unusual pro ceedings. The captain, who had retired early in the evening, had not been present during any part of this scene, but the noise at length reached his ears. Thinking it was time for the passengers to desist from such uproarious conduct, he entered the saloon, evidently without the re motest knowledge of how the disaster had occurred. After looking with astonishment at the wrecked state of affairs, he turned to the pas sengers, and in a very quiet tone, and with a serious face, he said : " Now, gentlemen, what's the meaning of this disgraceful conduct ? " We were all eager to explain, when he inter rupted us. " Stop, gentlemen ; let one speak at a time, please.

Quartermaster, tell the first mate to come to me ! " Then catching sight of the purser at the far end of the saloon ruefully regarding the remnants of an American organ which was his private property, he called out : " Mr. Thurston, how did this happen 1 " Mr. Thurston : "Why, sir, the bull oh, my poor harmonium ! " Captain: "Your poor harmonium! the bull! What bull, sir?" Mr. Thurston: "Yes, sir, the bull we bought at Madeira." Captain (roaring) : " D n the bull at Madeira. I want to know, sir, which of these gentlemen are to blame for this disgraceful conduct 1 " Mr. Thurston, desperately, and speaking volubly, explained how the bull had done it, and all that had occurred. The captain's seriousness had set us laughing again, and the study of his face as the storm clouds slowly passed away, giving place first to a sunny smile, and then to a broad grin as the whole scene gradually dawned upon him, was so irresistibly comic, that he joined in the general hilarity, and peals of laughter were heard on all sides as he fully admitted that he had added an amusing sequel to the strange event.

The first officer, who had been keeping watch on the bridge, now entered and started back AN AD VENTURE A 7 SEA. 25 with surprise and dismay at the scene before him. This was redoubled when he saw us laughing until our sides were aching, amidst a scene of such confusion and destruction. First officer : " Yessir ? " Captain : " I don't want you now, Bates, it's all over ! Ha-ha-ha ! " Omnes : "Ha-ha-ha!" Mr. Bates (looking very hard at the captain and the rest) : " Yes, sir, so it seems : but in the name of Heaven, how — did — this — happen What's up?" Captain (spasmodically) : " Why, Bates, — the bull, — the harmonium, — and I, — oh ! — the passengers." Bates (in puzzled tones) : " The bull ! the harmonium ! and you owe the passengers ! Yessir." " Oh, yes, I thought it was a row among the passengers ; but it was the bull which got loose and found its way in here," said the captain as he rapidly detailed the circumstances, adding, " but come, gentlemen, let us have a drink ?